1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a combine having straw walkers. A rotatable rotor is located above the straw walkers and is provided with tines eccentrically supported in bearings in the rotor housing which project outwardly therefrom for engaging the crop mat on the straw walkers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
DE-OS-1 904 406 discloses a combine with a tine-equipped rotor operating as an undershot conveyor located above straw walkers. This tine-equipped rotor is composed of a rotor housing, an axle supported eccentrically in bearings therein and tines rotatively supported in bearings on the axle extending through the wall of the rotor housing. During rotation of the rotor housing the tines projecting to the greatest amount at the bottom of the rotor housing are moved longitudinally in the direction of conveying the crop material from the threshing assembly to the straw walkers. The tines tear apart the mat of straw increasing in the separation of kernels still retained in the straw. To increase the rate of separation the tines are either fastened to the axle through wobble plates or the axle is constantly moved axially by means of an eccentric-drive motor. In this way the free ends of the tines also move in the axial direction of the rotor and further tear apart the straw mat.
DE-OS-22 35 061 discloses a combine in which an overshot conveyor similar to a pick-up platform is located between straw walkers and straw hood. The overshot conveyor takes up straw and redelivers it further downstream. The short straw lying at the bottom of the straw mat can then be separated. The overshot conveyor can also be provided immediately following a walker. A similar arrangement is also known from FR-PS-1,473,891 and DE-AS-2 103 981, where the arrangement according to the latter named citation can additionally be brought into a non-operating position.
According to GB-PS-698, 324 an overshot conveyor is also provided above straw walkers that consists of a drum and on which toothed strips are mounted in the trailing direction.
DE-OS-2 431 588 teaches a separator in the delivery region of the threshing assembly of a combine, that is provided with movable or flexible tines supported on a rotor which perform undershot conveying of the crop material. The tines are flexible, but always extend with their full length into the crop. It is also proposed that several such separators be arranged one after another.
According to DE-C3-42 09 020 a separator drum operating as an overhead conveyor is inserted between a threshing assembly and the straw walkers which catches the threshed crop coming from the threshing assembly and decelerates it so that kernels contained in the mass of the crop are deposited on the surface of the separator drum while the straw is passed along to the straw walkers.
DE-A1-41 27 118 shows a combine with straw walkers and a crop processing arrangement located above the walkers, which performs undershot conveying of the crop. Ahead of the crop processing arrangement a belt of tines is provided that also performs undershot conveying which tears apart the mass of crop and throws it at high speed into the slot between the crop processing arrangement and the straw walkers.